A reader writes, "When will retailers stop advertising with phrases like 'dresses up to 50% off and higher'? It can't be up to 50% if some discounts are higher than 50%!"

This huffy guy sounds like us, and we can only agree with his logic. The sales pitch goes a step too far and misses the mark.

But we have trouble with more than the "up to/and higher" illogic. We're also troubled by the "up to ... off" preposition overload, and even by the use of the word "higher" when we're talking about prices being lower. Here are a couple of less-than-elegant solutions:

"Dress prices reduced by 50% and more."
"Price reductions of 50% and more on dresses."

But ultimately we wonder where the truth lies. Why not mention the greatest reduction: "Price reductions up to 75%"? Or are most reductions in the area of 50%, with a few dresses carrying even greater reductions? Can't we know?

Possibly something more sinister is afoot. Suppose that three dresses are reduced in price by 50%, two by 52%, and all the others in the store by 1%. The sellers can't honestly say that prices are reduced "by 50% or more," but they can say "by up to 50% or more." This is a form of deceptive advertising posing as simple illiteracy.